Show f iG O ii 1 I t By LAURA LOU BROOKMAN IAN Copyright Author 1931 of by Mad l N N. E. E A A. Marriage 1 and Heart Hungry I BEGIN HERE TODAY I Pretty Norma Kent year old secretary sec I in a law office sees Mark Travers Prayers for tor the first time when together together to to- together gether the they rescue a puppy from downtown traffic in Marlboro middle western metropolis Norma declines to tell Travers her name or where he can see sec her again Bob Farrell young lawyer asks Norma to marry him and she refuses I though she is fond of him as a friend Norma takes the puppy to the shabby apartment she shares hares with Christine Saunders She fears Chris is falling in love with her married employer I Bradley Hart proprietor of an advertising ad ad- I agency Next day when Norma inserts an advertisement about the puppy In the lost and found column of the Marlboro Press the first person to answer is Mark Tray Trav ers He tries to make a date but Norma declines his invitations imitations A small boy comes to claim the puppy and takes it home Norma receives telephone calls from Travers Travers Trav Tray ers cis but Ignores them She goes for fora a drive with Bob Farrell and he tells her he is leaving Marlboro Two days later she meets Travers Prayers on the street and goes to lunch with him This is the beginning of a whirlwind courtship Norma finds herself herselt head head- over heels in love but thinks thinks' she must send Travers away because of some secret of the past Chris knows this secret declares that 1 if Norma loves Joves Travers all aU else Is unimportant Mark is invited to dinner at the apartment and Norma is alone there making preparations when a caller arrives He tells her he is Marks Mark's father and demands her affair with his son shall end In the midst of ofa ofa ofa a heated speech Mark appears NOW GO ON WITH TilE THE STORY I CHAPTER CHAPTER XI XIAt XIAt At the sound of his sons son's voice Travers whirled So its it's come to this he snorted Love nest The Thc Theman's Theman's mans man's face was livid 11 and terrible I Gone to the gutter have you he roared at the youth leave leavea a decent home and parents who've given you everything in the world for a cheap intrigue with a a. common com mon mon I I With on one bound Mark Travers Prayers was In the room slammed the door behind behind be be- hind him Stop it father he hc de de- Have Ha you gone crazy And dont don't you say one word against Normal Nor mal She's the sweetest finest girl Ive I've ever known You'd better apologize apol for that remark I Apologize 1 I The elder Traver voice fairly sparkled Apologize 1 I Do you OU know wh what t youre you're saying you young fool Mark Mad came nearer eyes blazing I do he said with alarming calmI calm I r 1 do know and I demand an apology apol ogy to Miss Kent Well Well Well- he went wenton on as the older mans man's cheeks took on an apoplectic tinge are you goIng goIng goIng go go- Ing to begin The elder eJder man broke in violently Are Arc you trying to make an Idiot out of oC me Trying Tring to pretend something hasn't been going on that Ive I've seen with my own eyes eye The girl and I I understand nd each other Shell She'll listen to reason all right Now Mark you OU set get ct out of here hereIt here tO It was sas Norma Normn who came forward Just a minute she said salt In a a. voice that struggled to steady itself Mr Travers I Im I-I'm Im I'm beginning to see what you think of me Its It's not true though Its It's not true Marks Mark's never nev er even en been in this room before He came tonight because he was invited in in- to dinner I live here with another another an other girl Oh you OU mustn't believe theres there's b been en anything wrong I I tell you its it's not true I She turned because she could not keep ba back k the tears Mark was at ather ather ather her side instantly his arm slipped about the girl Plea Please e dont don't cry darling he begged Please dont don't even think of what fathers father's been saying saying- It was only an au Instants Instant's pause In Inthe inthe inthe the storm Let me tell ten you Mark youre you're makIng makIng mak mak- Ing a a. fool of yourself 1 the elder Travers Prayers roared And now nov it was the younger man whose voice rose Color ebbed from Marks Mark's checks For Gods God's sake father fa ra a. a ther he cried you done enough here You'd better leave I II II Ir I r dont don't know what your Idea was Incoming in incoming incoming coming here but I wish you'd stayed away I was going to tell teU you OU in a day or two but you OU might as well know now Im I'm going to marr marry Normal Norma She and I 1 love loe each other and nothing In the world is going to stop us Nothing in the world- world do you hear that The girl was sobbing quietly her face hidden in Marks Mark's tweed der Marry her shouted F. F M M. Trav Tray ers Marry her hen Well well we'll see about that You'll do nothing of the sort If I 1 have to turn you over to the police I 1 dont don't know how you jou can int inter r- r fere tere ere Im I'm 23 you know Ive I've the right to marry whom L please and that person happens to be Norma All AU I have to do Is convince her Im I'm worth taking taking- taking taking-It Look here once here once and for all youre you're going to stop this nonsense I Mark moved a step forward Lets see Eee you jou try to make me he said warningly By heavens Ill I'll show you what I can dol Oh no you wont You may be the tin god of or the Century Realty corporation and the big boss of the west side but youre you're not going to tell me what to doW dot Mark persist in this insanity and I swear to God you'll never touch another penny of or my money I You Youcan Youcan Youcan can starve for all aU I care You can come whining to the door and I wont won't lift Ut a finger to help you Marry Many the girl huh Insolent puppy dont don't you OU see its it's your jour money she's after That's all aU a girl like Uke this wants Well shell she'll never neer get a a. cent of It and neither will you Defy me and Im I'm through with you I Through with you you you- you you-do do o you hear The choleric outburst had spent it it- self Almost before th the last word was out Mark was lashing back sav say We dont don't want your damned money Norma and I can get along without your help Well We'll show you yo how much we want your rotten cash cash cash- He broke off oft abruptly The elder Tr Travers overs whirled to see sec what Mark was looking at Norma uttered a low pitched cry There leaning against the door and watching them was Chris Saunders None of the three had heard her enter the room None knew ho how long she had been there In the sudden silence Chris' Chris immobile gaze moved from one to another of the trio Her dark eyes missed not a dc de tail taU of or the situation Well Chris spoke slowly calm ly Just what is this About time to put in an ambulance ambulance- call I 1 should think Norma dear wh why dont don't you jou suggest to your our visitors that this I house is not an institution for deaf deal mutes Its It's Just possible some of or the neighbors may not be Interested in your conversation The elder Travers moved Come Mark he said letsgo lets Jets letsgo go go go- Im not going father Chris strolled casually toward the davenport took off her hat and dropped it there You might Intro Intro- duc me Norma she said in the same deliberate tone she had used before The girls girl's attractiveness her self sel possession and air of indifference seemed to infuriate Marks Mark's father lather It was so 50 obvious that between a ayoung ayoung ayoung young person and F. F M. M Travers there could be nothing in common Travers Tra vers glared at her suspiciously then thc toward his son Are you jOU coming he snapped The query was addressed to Mark Nol NoI I I r told you Im I'm not leaving There was anger too in the young mans man's voice Travers turned Ive said my last word he roared Ive told you what you OU can do and I mean it Marry this girl and Ill I'll disown you You wont won't get a cent of my money and furthermore I never want to lay eyes on you again Remember its it's throwing away avay your whole life If It you'll get some sense knocked into your head hend and leave this creature alone you ou can come home If It youre you're determined to act like a headstrong fool go CO ahead and ahead and be damned to you youl The door slammed sharply on Travers' Travers Tta- Tta vers vers' back For an instant the three young people remained in silence A sob from Norma broke the tension She had moved a little away from Mark Now he was beside her again his arm around her shoulder Please Please I Mark began please dont don't cry You mustn't f feel l so bad ly Jy Norma Try to forget what's hap hap- We Ve dont don't care about anything dad says Were We're going to be happy together There There I He raised her chin tenderly kissed the eyelids that had been striving bravely to blink bUnk back the tears ar 1 re Scar dear Do Don't Dont t 3 you see sec everything's going to be all aU allright allright right She let him kiss her rested in his arms while Mark patted her shoulder shoulder der as one might comfort a child After Atter a moment Norma straightened But Mark she he said in a voice t that was not sure of itself itsel this means means- The words died Norma could not i bring herself to finish the sentence There was more tender comforting more murmuring of endearments 1 before she was able te to go ahead It means menns we cant can't see each other I an any more the girl ehl said miserably You come here again Why Normal Mark looked at her herIn herin hern In n astonishment Nothing of the kind Were We're going to be married Right away Why darling I wouldn't give you up for anything in the world Dont you Don't you know that Oh its it's sweet of you jOU to talk that wa way but we cant Throwing away your whole life that's Ute that's what your father said it would mean I I-I I I cant can't let Jet you quarrel with your father over me He said you OU couldn't ever come home You'll have to go Mark Mark- fark- fark But I tell you I wont Sweetheart Sweet heart were we're going to be married right away Tonight Please Nor ma Wont Won't you marry me tonight Oh you ou darling darling- She felt feJt his kisses on her lips Ups her cheek In the soft oft hollow of her throat His dear head bent to hers It was a maddening utterly unan unanswerable form of argument It banished banished ban ban- haunting terrors that had been like knives in Normas Norma's heart It opened vistas of rarest rapture Now If it she only dared dared I 1 Chris Saunders feeling her presence presence pres pres- presence ence neither called for nor heeded had stolen stoJen from the room When she reappeared after aeter a discreet interval she found Norma and Mark still in each others other's arm The They greeted her Chris Chris you you cant can't guess I Its going to be tonight Congratulate Congratulate Congratulate Con Con- mel Isn't this wonderful And dont don't you think Im I'm the luckiest luck iest guy in the world world have to come with us Chris The older girl stopped short surveying surveying sur stir them Am I to take all aU this as a wedding announcement Remember Remember Re Re- member I haven't even eyen met the young man yet et Norma Do you honestly honestly hon hon- estly mean you jOU two are planning to tobe tobe tobe be married tonight They chorused assent There followed followed fol fol- lowed half halt an hour of excited d Incoherent incoherent in coherent planning Norma and Marl were to drive t to 5 Woodbury In the next county to be married Chris was to come along Mark departed to give the girls time to dress to hunt up an acquaintance to act as the second second sec ond witness and to fill the car with gas It proved an evening of surprises The friend Mark brought to make the fourth in the wedding party was Bradley Hart Chris Chris' employer Mark had run into Hart on the street There were swift introductions With Witha a a. minimum of flurry they were of off offin offin in hi the roadster at last headed for Woodbury Woodbur Mark drove with Norma beside him Chris and Brad Hart were in the rumble seat By nine o'clock they were passing through the outskirts of Marlboro Ahead lay the state highway The roadsters roadster's speed increased Nine-fifteen Nine them hem plunging through darkness At that very ery moment moment mo ment Bob Farrell anxiously gripping the receiver in hi a pay station phone booth waited for the voice to come over the wire There was none Five seconds Ten seconds At last he heard the operators operator's crisp soprano They dont don't answer Farrell put up the receiver and turned awa away To be continued |